Let's grow your Pea sprouts and pea shoots
Soak today. Sprouts typically take 2 to 4 days, and pea shoots on a tray 8 to 14 days.
- Soak8 to 12 hours
- RinseRinse or water 2 to 3 times a day
- Typically readySprouts 2 to 4 days, pea shoots 8 to 14 days
Please read the food safety box before you eat your first batch. Always cook pea sprouts and pea shoots until steaming hot before eating.
Show me the 3 steps3 steps
Everything you need is on your pack. Here it is again, step by step.
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Soak
Cover the peas with clean drinking water and soak for 8 to 12 hours, then drain.
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Grow
Sprout in a clean jar, or grow pea shoots on a clean tray with a growing mat. Rinse or water 2 to 3 times a day.
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Harvest
Sprouts typically take 2 to 4 days, pea shoots 8 to 14 days. Refrigerate promptly.
- For a jar, use about 4 to 8 tablespoons of peas for a 1 litre jar. They swell a lot, so less is more.
- After each rinse, rest the jar upside down at an angle so it drains well.
- Store harvested sprouts or pea shoots covered in the fridge and use within a few days.
Food safety
Raw sprouts and shoots can carry harmful bacteria and rinsing does not remove all risk. Always cook them until steaming hot before eating. This applies to everyone, including pregnant people, young children, older people and anyone unwell. Use clean equipment and drinking water, refrigerate harvested sprouts and shoots promptly and discard any that smell off or show mould.
Pea sprouts must always be cooked until steaming hot before eating; do not eat them raw. This includes pea shoots.
- Wash your hands before handling seeds and sprouts.
- Wash jars, sprouters, trays and lids in hot soapy water before and after every batch.
About these seeds (from your pack)
- Ingredients: Organic peas for sprouting and for growing pea shoots.
- May contain cereals containing gluten, soya, celery and mustard.
- Storage: Store seeds sealed in a cool, dry, dark place.
- Country of origin: Italy.
- Organic: Certified organic by the Soil Association, control body GB-ORG-05.
Day by day
This diary is for jar sprouts. Day 0 is the day you soak. Every kitchen is different, so yours may be a day ahead or behind. That's fine. Growing pea shoots on a tray instead? See the tray stages below.
Day 0: Soak
- You will see
- Hard, round, dry peas.
- What to do
- Wash your hands, and wash a 1 litre jar in hot soapy water. Add 4 to 8 tablespoons of peas and rinse them. Cover with two to three times their volume of cool drinking water: peas swell a lot. Soak for 8 to 12 hours; overnight is handy. Then pour away all the water, shake out as much as you can, and rest the jar upside down at an angle. Keep it out of direct sunlight.
Day 1: Swelling
- You will see
- The peas are much bigger and rounder. Some skins split, and a few tiny white tails may peep out.
- What to do
- Rinse and drain 2 to 3 times a day. Morning and evening is the minimum. Drain well each time and tilt the jar so air can flow.
Day 2: Often ready from today
- You will see
- Short white tails on most of the peas. You may spot fine, fuzzy white hairs on the tails. These are root hairs, and they're normal (see the checker below).
- What to do
- You can harvest now if you like short tails, or keep going for a day or two. Give the jar a quick sniff: fresh sprouts smell clean and mild, like fresh peas.
Day 3: Harvest day for most people
- You will see
- Longer tails on most of the peas.
- What to do
- Give them a final rinse. Drain well for a few hours so they go into the fridge fairly dry. Store them in a covered container in the fridge. Pea sprouts must always be cooked until steaming hot before eating; do not eat them raw. This includes pea shoots.
Day 4: Last day of the usual window
- You will see
- Longer tails again. A few peas may show a small shoot.
- What to do
- Harvest today if you haven't already. Rinse, drain well and refrigerate promptly. Cook them until steaming hot before eating, and eat within a few days.
Rinse tracker
| Day | Morning | Evening | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 0 | Soak 8 to 12 hours, then drain | ||
| Day 1 | |||
| Day 2 | Often ready from today | ||
| Day 3 | Harvested | ||
| Day 4 |
Is it mould or root hairs?
This is the question new sprouters ask most. Here's how to tell.
Root hairs: fine
- Fine, fuzzy and white, just above the tip of each root.
- Usually appear on day 2 or 3.
- Rinse the sprouts: root hairs flatten and almost disappear when wet, then come back as the sprouts dry.
- Smell: clean and mild.
- What to do: nothing. Carry on rinsing.
Mould: bin it
- Often grey, green, black or blue, or white and cottony or slimy.
- Spreads over the seeds and hulls rather than the roots.
- Does not disappear when you rinse.
- Usually smells musty.
- What to do: throw the whole batch away. Do not try to rinse or cut it off. Wash the jar and lid in hot soapy water before starting again.
- you see mould;
- the sprouts smell sour, rotten or musty;
- they feel slimy;
- you're not sure. If in doubt, throw it out.
Drain thoroughly after every rinse, rinse more often in warm weather, keep the jar tilted so air can flow, and grow a smaller amount at a time.
Not sprouting?
- Cover the peas with clean drinking water and soak for 8 to 12 hours, then drain.
- Sprout in a clean jar, or grow pea shoots on a clean tray with a growing mat.
- Rinse or water 2 to 3 times a day.
- After each rinse, rest the jar upside down at an angle so it drains well.
- Sprouts typically take 2 to 4 days, pea shoots 8 to 14 days.
- Store seeds sealed in a cool, dry, dark place.
Didn't sprout? Tell us about your batch
Recipes
Pea sprouts and tender pea shoots have a fresh pea flavour that works well in hot dishes. Every idea below cooks them until they are steaming hot.
Garlic pea shoot stir-fry
Serves 2 as a side
You need
- 2 good handfuls (about 100 g) pea shoots or pea sprouts
- 1 tbsp oil
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
Method
- Heat the oil in a wok and fry the garlic for 30 seconds.
- Add the pea shoots or sprouts and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes until wilted.
- Add the soy sauce and stir-fry for 1 minute more, until everything is steaming hot. Serve straight away.
Pea sprout and lemon risotto
Serves 2
You need
- 2 good handfuls (about 100 g) pea sprouts or pea shoots
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 150 g risotto rice
- 700 ml hot vegetable stock
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 small handful of grated Parmesan
Method
- Heat the oil in a pan and soften the onion for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the rice for 1 minute, then add the stock a ladle at a time, stirring, for about 18 minutes until the rice is just tender.
- Stir in the pea sprouts or shoots and cook for 3 minutes more, until everything is steaming hot.
- Stir in the lemon zest and Parmesan and serve.
Pea sprout and mint soup
Serves 2
You need
- 2 good handfuls (about 100 g) pea sprouts
- 1 tbsp butter or oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 200 g frozen peas
- 600 ml vegetable stock
- 1 small handful of mint leaves
- Salt and pepper
Method
- Melt the butter or heat the oil in a pan and soften the onion for 5 minutes.
- Add the frozen peas, pea sprouts and stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for 8 minutes.
- Add the mint and blend until smooth.
- Return to the pan and heat until steaming hot. Season and serve.
Quick idea: stir a handful of pea sprouts or shoots into a soup or stew and simmer for a few minutes until steaming hot.
Check the labels of your other ingredients, such as soy sauce, stock, butter and Parmesan, for allergens.
About Pea seeds
These are whole dried peas that you can grow two ways: as short sprouts in a jar, typically ready in 2 to 4 days, or as tall, leafy pea shoots on a tray. Pea shoots take longer, typically 8 to 14 days, and you cut them just above the mat. Both taste of fresh garden peas.
Questions
How long do I soak the peas?
Soak for 8 to 12 hours in clean drinking water, as your pack says. Overnight is handy. Soaking far longer can stop seeds sprouting, so set a timer if it helps.
Jar or tray?
Both work. In a jar you get pea sprouts, typically in 2 to 4 days. On a tray with a growing mat you get pea shoots, typically in 8 to 14 days. Both must be cooked until steaming hot before eating.
How much seed should I use?
In a jar, use about 4 to 8 tablespoons of beans, lentils or peas for a 1 litre jar. Seeds swell a lot, so less is more. On a tray, spread the peas in a thin, even layer so they are close together but not piled up.
How do I rinse them?
In a jar: fill the jar with fresh drinking water, swirl, then drain well through the mesh lid. Rest the jar upside down at an angle so extra water can drain and air can flow. Do this 2 to 3 times a day, morning and evening as a minimum, and more often in warm weather. On a tray: water gently 2 to 3 times a day to keep the mat damp, not wet.
What should they smell like?
Fresh sprouts smell clean and mild, a bit like fresh peas or cut grass. A sour, rotten or musty smell means something has gone wrong, so throw the batch away.
How do I store the sprouts or shoots, and for how long?
Store harvested sprouts or pea shoots covered in the fridge and use within a few days. Drain them well first so they go into the fridge fairly dry, and cook them until steaming hot before eating. Store the unused seeds sealed in a cool, dry, dark place and use them by the best before date on the pack.
My peas aren't sprouting. What's wrong?
Too cold: seeds sprout well at a comfortable room temperature, around 20 to 25°C. In a cold kitchen they can take a day or two longer. Too long in water: drain well after every rinse and don't leave the jar sitting in water. Drying out: rinse at least twice a day. Seed storage: seeds kept warm, damp or open to the air sprout less well. A few hard seeds are normal. Pick them out at harvest.
Some peas are slow or stay hard. Is that normal?
Timings are typical ranges. Your sprouts may be a little faster or slower depending on how warm your kitchen is and how big you like them. In a cold kitchen they can take a day or two longer. A few hard seeds are normal: a small number of seeds may not sprout. Pick them out at harvest.
Which directions should I follow?
Always follow any directions on your pack.
Can I eat the sprouts or shoots without cooking them?
No. Pea sprouts must always be cooked until steaming hot before eating; do not eat them raw. This includes pea shoots. Please read the food safety box above.
Do I need special equipment?
No. For sprouts, a large glass jar (about 1 litre) with a mesh or sieve lid does the job, or a sprouter if you have one. For pea shoots, use a clean shallow tray and a growing mat. You also need clean drinking water.